Yet More Proof The Government Is At Odds With The Community On Same-Sex Marriage

A new survey finds a "profound" shift in community sentiment.

Support for equal marriage rights during an Equal Love marriage equality rally on May 20, 2017 in Melbourne.

CANBERRA -- As Turnbull Government MPs continue an internal war over moves to bring in same-sex marriage, a new report has found more Australians now support equal rights for same-sex couples including the move to change the definition of marriage.

The PM is known to be personally in favour of marriage equality and a parliamentary vote to bring it in, and he's backed by Wednesday's HILDA report which surveys the same 17,000 people each year. It has found a "profound shift" towards the view that homosexual couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.

Almost two-thirds of Australians now support equal marriage, parenting and employment rights for same-sex couples, a jump from just 38 per cent in 2005. That's 67 per cent of women and 59 per cent of men in the survey year of 2015.

But the plebiscite proposal, which failed to get through the parliament without the backing of the Opposition, the Greens and several independent senators, has been derided by pro-marriage advocates as pointless, a waste of money, potentially harmful to young gays and lesbians and nothing more than a delay tactic.

It is expected to come to a head next Tuesday in the Liberal Party room. Brisbane based Liberal MP Trevor Evans is expected to raise the need to support a private members bill from Liberal Senator Dean Smith for marriage equality.